Protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty

ABSTRACT

A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty that comprises a flexible, opaque, laminar body that is symmetrical about its vertical axis and trunk-conical, having a front side and a rear side that is parallel to and narrower than the front side, and lateral sides formed by a longer inclined portion and a shorter straight portion. The protective cover serves to isolate the parts of interest from a surrounding body of water and to prevent the passage of sunlight. The front side of the cover includes a ballasted area and the rear side thereof a rigidified area. A unit formed by cords fastened to the jetty makes it possible to collect the cover and fasten it thereto.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as stated in the title of the present specification, relates to a protective cover for craft and to a collection and fastening unit thereof to the quay or jetty, providing for the function for which it is designed several advantages and innovative characteristics, aside from others inherent to its organization and constitution, which will be described in detailed later on, and which involve a considerable improvement of the state of the art.

More in particular, the object of the invention is focused, on the one hand, on a protective cover especially designed for sports and/or pleasure craft whose purpose lies in avoiding the formation of microorganisms which soil and may damage the submerged and delicate parts thereof, such as tails, propeller, flaps and rudder, and, on the other, to a unit or apparatus for collecting and fastening said cover to the jetty, whether floating or fixed, when sailing and it is not used, making it possible to fix it in a way so that its collection in the craft is easy avoiding it getting in the way and, at the same time, that it could hinder in any way the mooring operations of the craft or any surrounding craft.

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The field of application of the present invention lies within the technical sector of the industry devoted to the manufacturing of nautical accessories in general and, in particular, those designed for the maintenance and cleaning of sports and/or pleasure craft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, in general the craft must be taken out of the water every certain time, between 12 and 18 months, for their maintenance, which basically consists of the repair and change of certain parts and/or components whose access is only possible when dry, as well as to clean the microorganisms that adhere to the submerged parts thereof, and which may damage it or make it lose speed and/or power performance, it further being necessary to paint it with specific chemical products which avoid their reproduction.

Said operations, however, in addition to the financial cost they involve and the environmental damage that they may possibly cause, since they are “poisons”, do not guarantee a very long period without microorganisms on the craft, which, may also appreciably vary depending on one port to another, depending on its geographic location.

Furthermore, some parts of the craft, such as propellers and tails, given the extreme friction to which they are subjected during sailing, do not remain clean for more than 30 days from the time the boat is placed in the water.

Therefore, and in order to resolve the aforementioned problem, the object of the present invention is to provide a protective system which makes it possible to prolong to the maximum the need to careen the craft to perform said cleaning of their delicate submerged parts; it should be indicated that the applicant does not know of any other invention which has technical, structural or configuration characteristics similar to those claimed herein.

On the other hand, the solution proposed by the invention, consisting of a protective cover, poses a problem of collection and fastening thereof when it is not being used due to going out to sail, having provided, to resolve said drawback, given the dimensions and nuisance of handling thereof a collection unit which is equally innovative and unknown in the current state of the art.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the protective cover for craft and the collection and fastening unit thereof to the quay or jetty that the invention proposes is configured as an outstanding novelty within its field of application, since, in accordance with its implementation and specifically, the aforementioned objectives indicated as ideal are satisfactorily reached, the characterizing details being what make this possible, suitably contained in the final claims that accompany the present specification.

Specifically, the protective cover claimed consists of a laminar body of flexible and resistant opaque material, such as plastic, waterproof canvas, special fabric or such like, which has a flat configuration and especially designed anchoring means to allow their placement covering the delicate submerged parts of the craft, so that the water in contact with them remains enclosed inside, isolated from the rest of the sea, also preventing the passage of sunlight to the inside.

This practically fully avoids the proliferation of microorganisms (snail) adhered to the submerged areas of the craft within said portion of water.

The cover, therefore, has means to be fastened, by cords, to handrails, belaying pins or other attachment points, to the stern and on other areas of the deck, or decks, of the craft. Furthermore, on the front part of the cover, designed to be submerged under the hull, the incorporation of a ballasted section has been provided to facilitate its handling when placing it under the craft, in use position, as well as for its collection, when it is not used, fastening it to the jetty.

In the opposite area of the cover, designed to be fastened to the upper part of the boat stern, for example, on the swim platform, the incorporation of a rigidified area is provided which facilitates its fastening thereto, avoiding sunlight from being able to penetrate through said area due, for example, to lifting up due to gusts of wind.

Additionally, it would be advisable to add a chemical product, to repel snails, but biodegradable, in the water enclosed by the cover once it is placed under the craft.

As regards to fastening of the protective cover to the quay or jetty, when not in use, for example, when sailing, the invention proposes a unit formed by a cord system which makes it possible to collect it and fasten it to said jetty so that it is practical, fast, easy and convenient to reposition it on the craft, avoiding it from occupying a significant place on the jetty hindering the passage of pedestrians as well as, as it is submerged under it, being able to cause any nuisance in the mooring operations of the craft or any other neighbouring craft.

It should be mentioned that said collection and fastening unit slightly varies depending on whether the jetty is floating or fixed.

Said protective cover for craft and the collection and fastening unit thereof to the quay or jetty represent, in consequence, an innovation of structural and constitutive characteristics unknown until now for the purpose they are designed for, reasons that together with their practical utility, give it sufficient grounds to obtain the privilege of exclusivity applied for.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description being made and in order to help towards a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of plans is attached to the present specification, as an integral part thereof, wherein, with illustrative and non-limitative character, the following has been represented:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the protective cover object of the invention, observing therein the parts and elements that comprise it as well as the configuration and disposal thereof.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a cover once it has been attached to the craft.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show different elevation and plan views of an example of the collection and fastening unit of the cover, according to the invention, specifically for a floating jetty.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In light of said figures, and in accordance with the numbering adopted, an example of preferred embodiment can be observed in them, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.

Thus, as observed in FIG. 1, the cover (1) in question consists of a laminar body, of resistant, flexible, opaque material, such as plastic, canvas, special fabric or others, which has a rectangular, polygonal, flat configuration, symmetrical in its vertical axis (2) and approximately trunk-conical, having a front side (3), which is wider, and a rear side (4), parallel to the above and narrower, as well as different lateral sides (5) formed by a longer inclined portion (5 a) and a shorter straight portion (5 b).

Said body, on the lateral ends of said front side (3), has different orifices (6, 6′) designed for the insertion of different cords (7, 7′) for its fastening to the craft, as will be described below, equidistantly distributed on the lateral sides (5), it has a plurality of orifices (8) designed for the insertion of another cord (9) which completes said fastening and, finally, on the rear side (4) it has several further orifices (10) to allow its fastening to the jetty.

Furthermore, in the middle area of the front side (3) of the cover (1), an elongated housing has been provided (11), equipped with opening and closing means, such as a longitudinal zip (12), wherein is incorporated a flexible cylinder (13) of PVC or similar material, closed and watertight, which will be designed to incorporate gravel or another similar material, with sufficient weight, and to the taste of the user, to ballast said area and facilitate mobility under the water of this front side (3) of the cover (1) both under the craft (E) and under the jetty (P).

For its part, next to the rear side (4) of the cover, a transversal double seam (14) has been provided for the insertion of a cylinder (15) of rigid and light material, designed to rigidify and give bulk to said part of the cover, which is designed to remain fixed outside the water on the boat stern, for example, on the swim platform (B) of the craft.

Thus, as observed in FIG. 2, the cover (1) to protect the submerged and delicate parts of the craft (E), is placed so that its vertical axis (2) coincides with the keel, its front side (3) moored and completely fitted to the hull, by different independent cords (7, 7′), inserted in the orifices (6, 6′) provided at the respective ends of said front side (3), being tied at their opposite ends to an element of the craft, by each side thereof.

In parallel, another cord (9), inserted two by two in the orifices (8) of the lateral sides (5), when pulled, shall fasten said sides outside of the water covering the rear and lower part of the craft (E).

Finally, the rear side (4) is fastened to the swim platform (B), the rigidifying cylinder (15) serving so that said part fits well and the sunlight cannot penetrate under the cover (1).

Looking at FIGS. 3 and 4, we can observe that to collect and fasten the cover (1) to the jetty (P), the invention includes a collection unit (16) configured from a cord system which facilitates said operation, avoiding it from being able to hinder mooring operations of the craft or other adjacent craft.

Said unit (16), in a preferred option, provided for a floating jetty (P), as represented in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises different pairs of closed cords (17, 17′) and (18, 18′), tied with allowance to both sides of the jetty (P) and disposed, respectively, at the height of the side of the port (19) and starboard (20) of the craft (E), there being different guides (21, 21′) for other two cords (22, 22′) tied at their ends to the aforementioned closed cords (17, 17′) and (18, 18′), with sufficient length so that, on pulling said ends, said guides (21, 21′) protrude from one side or another of the jetty (P).

Thus, the way of fastening the cover (1) to the collection unit (16) described comprises the following steps:

First, fastening the rear side (4) of the cover (1) by inserting one or more cords (not represented) in the orifices (10) provided on said side, to fasten it at its ends to the closed cords (18 and 18′) of port and starboard, respectively.

Next, the cord (9) which fastens the cover (1) to the craft is released, without releasing the two cords (7) and (7′) of the ends of the front side (3), which carry the guides (21 and 21′) and are allowed to sink.

Once the front side (3) of the cover (1) has sunk below the jetty (P), then it is necessary to pull the end of the cords (22 and 22′) catching on to the closed cords (17, 17′) provided on the opposite side of the craft (E) on the jetty (P), to knot to said closed cords (17, 17′) the cords (7, 7′) which fasten the ends of the front sides (3) of the cover (1), so that said cover (1) is perfectly fastened under the jetty (P), without interrupting or hindering the passage of people on this or hindering in the mooring operations of the craft.

For the case that the jetty is of fixed type, or for the case of a floating jetty where two craft on both sides thereof wanted to use the system described, the invention contemplates a simplified collection unit, wherein it only includes one pair of closed cords (18, 18′) on the side of the jetty wherein the craft is located, replacing the cords with allowance and guides by weights to fasten the ends of the cords (7, 7′) of the ends of the front side (3) of the cover which, with its corresponding cords with extra length to reach from the bottom to the jetty, increase the ballast of the cover to guarantee that said front side (3) remains in the bottom despite the possible currents, normally almost zero inside marinas.

Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as the way of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to give greater explanation for any person skilled in the art to understand its scope and the advantages given by it, placing on record that, within its essential nature, it can be put into practice in other embodiments which differ in details from those indicated by way of example, and which shall also be covered by the protection provided that its fundamental principle is not altered, changed or modified. 

1. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, especially applicable to sports and/or pleasure craft to avoid the formation of microorganisms on certain delicate parts of the craft that are submerged in a body of water, such as tails, propellers, flaps and rudders, comprising: a flexible, resistant, opaque laminar body to prevent the passage of sunlight and fastenable by cords to fastening points on a stern and on areas of a deck of the craft, the body covering the delicate submerged parts of the craft so that water that is in contact with the delicate submerged parts is enclosed therein and isolated from the rest of the body of water and the body having a ballasted area to facilitate its handling under water, and a rigidified area to facilitate its fastening; and a unit comprised of a system of cords fixed to the jetty which allows collecting the cover and fastening it thereto.
 2. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 1, the cover having a polygonal flat configuration, symmetrical about its vertical axis and approximately trunk-conical, having a front side and a rear side, parallel to, and narrower than the front side, as well as different lateral sides formed by a longer inclined portion and a shorter straight portion.
 3. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 2, wherein the front side of the cover is designed to be submerged under water and includes the ballasted area to facilitate the handling under water; and wherein the rear side of the cover is designed to be fastened to the upper part of the stern and includes the rigidified area.
 4. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 1, wherein the ballasted area includes an elongated housing equipped with opening and closing means that includes a flexible, closed and watertight cylinder designed to include gravel or another similar material.
 5. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 1, wherein the rigidified area is at the rear side of the cover and includes a transversal double seam for the insertion of a cylinder of rigid and light material.
 6. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 2, further comprising orifices on the lateral ends of the front side designed for the insertion of different cords for their fastening to the craft or to the jetty, the orifices being equidistantly distributed on the lateral sides, designed for the insertion of a further cord for fastening to the craft, and, on the rear side, orifices for the insertion of other cords for their fastening to the jetty.
 7. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit is configured for a floating jetty and comprises different pairs of closed cords tied with allowance to both sides of the jetty and disposed, respectively, at the height of the side of the port and starboard of the craft, there being different guides for other two cords tied at their ends to the aforementioned closed cords with sufficient length so that, upon pulling said ends, said guides protrude from one side or another of the jetty.
 8. A protective cover for a craft and collection and fastening unit thereof to a quay or a jetty, according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit is configured for a fixed jetty and comprises a pair of closed cords fastened on the side of the jetty where the craft is located, having also weights to fasten the ends of the cords of the ends of the front side of the cover which includes corresponding cords with sufficient length to reach from the bottom to the jetty to increase the ballast of the cover and to guarantee that said front side remains in the bottom. 